Athénaïs - Chérelle 2014
We drink a bottle of Pinot Noir Chérelle 2014 from Athénaïs de Béru in Burgundy.
The Athénaïs wine line is the Negoce line of Athénaïs de Béru. Thus, grapes are purchased to expand the range of the own winery Chateau de Béru by exciting other wines. For this purpose, the grapes are grown by selected growers, most of whom work organically or are in conversion to it, harvested by hand, then fermented and aged spontaneously at the Chateau and then bottled unfined and unfiltered with little added sulfur. The grapes for today’s wine, Chérelle, come from the Irancy appellation, located just southwest of Chablis. There, mainly Pinot Noir is grown and the wine today is also a Pinot Noir from 2014.
Immediately after opening, the Pinot smells of red berries with a touch of red currant and some undergrowth to it. It appears very fine, rather cool and elegant with a slight lactic note. In the mouth, this comes through as well. Red, cool fruit paired with a nice fresh acidity and then, after the soft and fine nose, an unexpected amount of tannin that really builds traction on the palate but doesn’t become unpleasant in the process. Over the evening, the flavor deepens.
On the second evening, the wine feels more mature. There is meat juice, instead of undergrowth now forest floor and the fruit is more integrated and leans more in the direction of cherry than currant. Sour cherry, not sweet cherry. In addition, vanilla bean and cardamom pod. This is then reflected on the tongue. The tannin there is also more integrated, seems softer, more fine-grained and almost velvety. The few years in the bottle have had their effect.
Two small glasses make it into a third evening as well. There the fruit becomes even darker and now goes in the direction of plum or very dark, now really almost sweet cherries. The vanilla becomes more intense on the nose, but at the same time the fine tannin framework and fresh acidity stay in place and give the wine structure. We really like this.